Flight by Night
by SuntoryAngel
Summary: Almost as if in a haze, Mala made her way to a special chest that where she kept her private personal belongings and revealed a similar one. She had made them before the trials, one for herself and the other for…him. Blinking away the moisture that had begun to cause her vision to blur, she turned to the old woman. "Please tell me everything."
1. The Search Begins

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the fanfiction! This is a request from BlueNovaNF, my one and only! It took a lot of hard thinking and planning, but I think I have all my ducks I a row. We'll see how this goes! I don't own HTTYD but I do own my OCs. Thank you for taking the time to read! Let's get started!

* * *

 **Flight by Night**

 **The Search Begins**

Mala bowed her head slightly as she entered the gathering square. The villagers knelt as she passed them, her goal the throne that sat atop the platform. The elders of her family, dressed from head to toe in dark red stained leather and decorated with gold tribal patterns, were gathered in front of the throne. She briefly glanced to each in turn as she settled into the large chair, her hands rising to rest on the arms. "I see you've all gathered once more."

"For good reason," one of them lifted his chin. He was at least in his 60s, freckled skin the color of wheat with pitch black hair gathered into multiple braids that reached his shoulders. His jawline was taunt and sharp, "We've heard of your recent antics, Mala, and we are concerned." The villagers began whispering amongst themselves as the elder recalled the past few months. "When we heard that you had wed a Berserker, it seemed our decision was already made clear."

"Dagur is indeed a Berserker, but he is also their chief," Mala interjected, her expression hardening slightly. "He has proven his valor and sense of comradery time and time again."

"And yet he is clearly insane, completely unfit to lead any clan!" The elder narrowed his sharp grass colored eyes. "How could you even think to dirty the family line with such filth!"

"How dare you!" One by one the villagers began to shout and point up at the elders. "Queen Mala has protected us from things you could scarcely imagine!" They were quickly subdued by a stern look from their queen, though it held a hint of appreciativeness. Hearing her people express their favor and loyalty only increased her belief that her actions were justified.

"If you doubt my choice, then I invite you to remain here until he returns from visiting his sister. He will be back by sundown." Her eyes darted upward as a familiar dragon cry pierced the air. She couldn't help but smile as the Triple Stryke landed beside her. "Welcome back," she blushed lightly as Dagur threw his arms around her and rubbed her nose with his. "You're earlier than you said."

"How could I stay away from my Queenie?" he grinned. It grew wider as his eyes fell on the group in the center square. "What have we here? A party? I love parties!"

The elder that had been vocal found himself speechless. This man, this IDIOT, was truly mad! "Explain yourself, madman! How dare you force the dragon to carry you! Such disrespect!" Whispers filled the air as the other elders began conversing amongst themselves. Every so often you could hear words such as "blasphemy", "disgraceful", and "dishonor".

Dagur's expression twisted into an angry grimace as their words fell on his ears. "Are you calling my Queenie a failure?!" Mala blinked in surprise as the Berserker stomped forward so that he could glare the elder pointedly in the face. "She is one of the best fighters I've ever seen, not to mention she has the best way of speaking! She makes anything and everything sound so royal!"

"Silence, incompetent outsider!" the elder barked, his eyes flashing dangerously. "How dare you raise your voice a former king, Fergus McMicistern!"

Mala stepped forward as Dagur prepared to retaliate, her body tense. "You may say what you want about me, but I must ask you to leave my beloved out of this." Her eyes locked with each of the elders' in turn, before finally resting on Fergus. "You have yet to explain why you have all gathered here."

Something close to a sneer lifted his lips. "Why, my dear, we have come to inform you that we no longer stand behind you. You have turned your back on the old ways that we have held dear and we have no intention of letting you continue this reign of defilement."

"The title is handed from woman to woman of the family." Mala's eyes narrowed. "You were the ones who established that rule. Only women are handed the title, but there have been cases where a man of the family may undertake the trials and assume the throne. Dagur, as you may have guessed, passed the trials and instead of taking my throne he has chosen to share it with me by taking me as his queen." They very well knew the way of the family, so why would they approach her like this? Her eyes widened. Unless-

"We have a challenger to present to you," Fergus smiled. "She is my granddaughter, you remember Melaeny, yes?"

Shock filled her. Melaeny was her childhood rival, a brute of a girl that was as strong as a dragon and as silver tongued as the devil himself. "I see." Her thoughts raced with memories of her childhood, most containing the larger girl sneering or causing trouble for her. It's been nearly ten years though. Surely she couldn't still be the same girl as she had been. "She is fairing well, I hope?"

"Indeed she is, I hear her travels have taught her much about the world and she has matured quite nicely." His eyes locked with hers. "She is quite fit to be queen."

"Whoa whoa whoa," Dagur held up his hands. "You can't just take things away from my queenie without a fight." His expression suddenly became serious, a sight that she had witnessed only a few times. "Since I passed the trials as well, wouldn't she have to fight me first?" Fergus snapped that only women could partake in the series of tests that would decide royal title passing. Man, this guy was touchy! "You said you were a former king, right? I can't envision anyone wanting to undergo the trials for someone like you. How exactly did that happen?" Mala nearly gawked, a strangled giggle catching in her throat as Fergus' face flamed. She wasn't the only one, a few of the elders had to cough in order to cover their own amusement. It was true, no woman who had gained the throne had any interest in marrying him.

"If the head female of the family line does not wish to gain the title, the siblings are given the chance to undergo the trials," one of the elders pipped up. Her silver eyes that matched her cropped hair shone brightly, but they held a strange dullness as her head shifted in the direction of whoever was speaking. "When that happens, the family title is then passed to the sibling who completes all trials. When they marry, it then passes to their female offspring."

"So it's strictly woman based unless otherwise?" Dagur stroked his chin. "Too bad you're an only child." His eyebrow rose as everyone seemed to gasp. "What, was it something I said?"

Fergus' expression soured. "You are her intended and yet you know nothing!"

"Forgive me," Mala stepped forward to stand next to Dagur. "it never seemed the right time to tell you that I have a twin brother."

Dagur blinked. "I must not have heard you right. Did you just say-" His eyes bugged as she nodded, his hands rising to grasp his hair. "YOU HAVE A TWIN BROTHER?!"

"Hard to believe, I know," the old woman chuckled. "I was there myself when they were born. Twins are a rarity in the family, and when they are born usually only one survives. The fact that both did was a blessing." Mala cast her a smile as the woman began making her way to them, one arm outstretched while the other held onto a walking stick tightly. A wide grin spread across her face as her hand met Mala's shoulder. "My, my, how much you've grown."

Mala nodded appreciatively as the woman's hands rose to her cheeks. "You're kind to say so, thank you." The woman suddenly grew serious as she pulled Mala's head down enough so that her lips nearly reached her ear. She whispered that she needed to speak with her alone after dark. The queen agreed, stating that they would best meet in her personal residence after the evening meal.

Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long. The evening meal was served an hour before the sun began to brush the horizon and it was exquisite; roasted wild boar slathered in thick gravy, wine nearly as old as the Eruptadon itself, steamed herbs topped with goat butter, and a selection of various candied nuts and fruits for dessert. Fergus conversed loudly with many of the villagers that approached him, though they were few. Seeing as everyone was occupied, Dagur turned his attention from the visiting group in front of them to his queen.

"So?" Mala offered him a piece of meat, which he readily consumed, but his eyes never waivered from hers. "You mind telling me about him? What's his name? What's he like?"

She sighed, a knowing smile spreading across her face. "So curious, and yet so impatient."

"But you love me for it," he grinned, poking her cheek lightly with his finger. His expression faltered when hers became filled with sadness. "Sorry, is this one of those things that you'll tell me when I need to know? I'll understand but I won't lie and say I'm-" Something soft pressed against his lips briefly, causing him to blink in surprise as she leaned away. Did she just-

"It's alright," her lips lifted into a smile. "I just miss him is all."

Dagur's gut twisted. "Did something happen?"

"Since we both survived, the family wasn't sure as to how to proceed. Many viewed the situation to be trivial and pressed for me to be given the trials. However, there were others who viewed it as an opportunity." She nodded in the old woman's direction. "As she mentioned, twins are a rarity in the family line. The fact that we both survived past infantry was a miracle in itself. So it was decided that we both would undergo the trials once we became of age." Mala's chest rose as she gathered her bearings. "I alone came back from them…"

"Mala…" Dagur's hand grasped hers.

"We were very close," she smiled. "and I'll forever miss him."

"My queen," Throk approached with the elder woman. "she would like a word with you before retiring."

"Very well," Mala nodded, standing. "Shall we?" The elder woman moved to grasp the offered arm she held out but Dagur slipped between the two, saying that he would be honored to assist a friend of his beloved. "You've traveled a great distance, are you sure that you wouldn't rather rest first?" Mala offered as they entered the hut.

The old woman laughed heartily. "I may be on in my years, but I don't require your coddling quite yet!" She released Dagur's forearm with a smirk, briefly nudging Mala's side as she moved to sit in a chair that had been offered. "He's quite the sturdy one, not to mention the keeping you on your toes bit. A keeper, if you ask me!"

"I'm glad you think so." Mala smiled affectionately as Dagur's cheek's dusted with pink. Her expression became serious as the old woman took her hands. "Now, what is it that you wanted to discuss?"

The woman's eyes creased. "I've heard something through the grapevine, my dear, and I'm not quite sure what to think of it. Many of the traders that visit us bring news of events that are happening in the Archipelago. Tell me, have you ridden on the back of a dragon?" Mala nodded. "Tell me, what is it like?"

"Why not see for yourself?" Dagur whistled, Triple Stryke appearing in the window.

"Perhaps another time," she shook her head, stating that the night air would give her more wrinkles, but opted for rubbing its snout. "Such a magnificent dragon! You must be very proud!"

Mala's brows furrowed. "That can't be the only thing you have come to discuss."

The woman smiled. "Ever the shrew one, my dear. Honestly, I wasn't the least bit surprised by the news that you had been sighted sitting atop a dragon. It's about time our Defenders became more acquainted with the dragons. Yes, there is something that I must discuss with you." The woman turned her glazed eyes in Mala's direction. "There is talk that he is alive."

Everything in Mala's world froze, but she remained stoic. "That isn't possible. Many went out to search for him and they never found a trace. What nonsense were those drunken fools spreading?"

"You think I would come here without checking on it?" the woman tsked her tongue, shaking her head. "Shame on you, Mala, you doubt this old woman's mind. Of course I looked into it." A hand slipped inside her clothing, pulling out a folded piece of cloth. "You remember this, don't you?"

Dagur's breath caught as moisture gathered in Mala's eyes as the cloth was unfolded. In the old woman's lap sat a leather strap just big enough to fit around a wrist. The leather was old, but there were traces of gold tribals and black stitching in the design of a "Z". Mala's hands slowly reached out and lifted the accessory into the air, turning it this way and that as she examined it in the lantern light. Almost as if in a haze, she made her way to a special chest that where she kept her private personal belongings and revealed a similar one. She had made them before the trials, one for herself and the other for…him. Blinking away the moisture that had begun to cause her vision to blur, she turned to the old woman. "Please tell me everything."

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What do you think? Let me know in the comments!


	2. Tradepost Discoveries

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the fanfiction! This is a request from BlueNovaNF, my one and only! It took a lot of hard thinking and planning, but I think I have all my ducks I a row. We'll see how this goes! I don't own HTTYD but I do own my OCs. Thank you for taking the time to read and for the feedback! Let's get started!

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 **Flight by Night:**

 **Tradepost Discoveries**

 _"_ _Sister, let's go!" She couldn't help but smile as he took her hand, grabbed their daggers, and slipped out into the afternoon heat. They were the same height, both wearing a single braid on their right side that reached their shoulder that had a single black ribbon integrated. The sun glittered off the golden tribals of their red sleeveless tunics, his black leggings ending just past his knees while hers extended past the arrow-head-like skirt she wore, their boots reached just past their ankles, and their daggers were made with pure obsidian._

 _"_ _What if someone sees us, brother?" she whispered as they snuck past the entrance to the village. "We will get into very serious trouble."_

 _His olive eyes danced as he pulled her behind a tree, ducking her head as one of the guards turned to look their way. "You need to practice your throwing, right?" he whispered, winking. "How are you supposed to improve if all we do is shadow father all the time?" He had a point. They had been tasked with following their father for the past couple days to better learn about the duties of a chief. It would honestly do her good to get away from the eyes of the villagers that were full of high expectations. "Why don't we go hunt for the Great Protector's snack?" he suggested, as if sensing her predicament and internal struggling. "I overheard that the hunting group hasn't gotten back yet so I bet they would appreciate it if someone gave the Great Protector it's mid-afternoon offering."_

"Babe?" Dagur waved his hand in front of her face, his expression full of worry. She had been staring off into space the entire trip and hadn't said a word since they had left the island. He offered a small smile as she blinked a few times, her olive colored orbs focusing on his own. "Sorry, was I interrupting something?"

She shook her head, apologizing for her lack of conversation while gently patting Triple Stryke's side. She had been up all night unable to stop thinking about him. Something soft brushed her cheek, drawing her attention from the dragon to the man in front of her as he smiled at her from over his shoulder. Her appreciation for Dagur grew as he offered to let her take the reins. It was one of the special ways he conveyed that she was important to him and understood that her newfound love of flying would help ease her racing thoughts. "Thank you."

In one swift movement, Dagur stood and backflipped over her head, deftly landing and settling behind her as she slid forward in the saddle. "There we go, as snug as Gronkles in a granite cave!" Triple Stryke rumbled softly as the weight on his back changed, sending a glance over his shoulder to the woman now rubbing one of his spikes. "How's the view up there?"

"I'm speechless," she smiled as his arms wrapped around her waist and his chin rested on her shoulder. The horizon stretched out across the ocean's surface, clouds scattered across the pale blue sky. Every so often there was the occasional dragon leaping out of the water or disappearing just out of sight behind a cloud. "I could never get tired of this." The smile on her face became tinted with sadness as another memory surfaced.

 _She was slipping through the overgrown brush as silently as a mouse as she spotted him to the north. He nodded, directing her attention to the wild boar a few meters in front of them. The pig's ears perked as she drew the dagger from its sheath. Within seconds, it fell over on its side with the dagger protruding from its forehead. "You did it!" he shouted, throwing his arms around her and causing them to fall backwards into the brush. "I told you your aim was getting better!"_

 _"_ _It's all thanks to you," she hugged him tightly as he stood and helped her back to her feet. "How are we going to get it back to the village? It's humungous!" His expression twisted into one of uncertainty. They couldn't just leave it there, it would be such a waste. Alarm filled her as he returned the dagger to her sheath and whistled shrilly, a giant shadow falling over them as he grabbed onto the boar. The Great Protector grabbed the boar that now seemed tiny and began making its way back towards the village. Her grip on her brother tightened as she glanced downward, her eyes clenching tightly shut. "B-brother!"_

 _"_ _Trust me!" he smiled, slipping her onto his back so that she would feel more secure. She could feel him chuckle as her arms wrapped around his neck in a near stranglehold. "Open your eyes, you have to see this!" Her eyes cracked open at his words, her vision slightly blurring as the wind tickled her face. All thoughts left her as she gazed out upon the village, seeing the villagers going about their daily lives as the trees whizzed by._

"We're here," Dagur smiled as they landed not too far from the trade post. He quickly grasped her waist as she nearly tumbled from the saddle, her eyes slowly coming into focus. "Easy there, queenie." Sliding from the saddle, he firmly planted her on solid ground before releasing her. He offered a hand as her eyes met his, revealing her racing thoughts. "So which trader are we looking for?"

She slid her hand into his, giving it a squeeze of appreciation as they began making their way towards the trade post entrance. "Perhaps we should come another time," she commented as they walked through the nearly desolate walkways. "It doesn't look like anyone is here." It was true. Most of the stalls were boarded up or had little to nothing to sell. There weren't any other visitors besides themselves either. The stall owners were looking glummer than usual, not to mention the number of unattended stalls as their owners were at the tavern tent. Even the sky had turned into a dull gray during their short time there.

Dagur squeezed her hand. "Come on, you can't give up so easily. He wouldn't give up on you if the situation was the flipped. Obviously I wouldn't have married him, I'm not into guys like that. Not that I ever was." He sheepishly chuckled as she rested a hand against his chest briefly before her attention was snagged as a dark figure dashed down a nearby alley. She fingered the dagger that was strapped around her thigh as Dagur moved to glance after the figure.

The alley was empty though. No one was in sight! Mala's eyes darted around the brick and wooden walls, narrowing as she noticed a strange outline that molded with the grooves of brick and wood. Her fingers splayed across its surface as she gently pushed against it at various points. The different areas caused different tones to sound, plunging her into another memory.

 _"_ _Let's come up with a code!" He grinned as they snuck back into their home. The Great Protector had been grateful for their calling as it now had a snack to much on until the evening meal. Thankfully their father and the villagers hadn't seen them disappear so there wasn't anyone waiting to punish them. "That way we can communicate and know when we need each other." She raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner, earning a laugh. "What should it be: a phrase or pattern?"_

 _"_ _Why not both?"_

 _"_ _That's why you're going to be chief, you're so much smarter than me!" His arms wrapped around her, his laugh filling the cabin. "Mother's Lullaby will be the pattern, and the phrase will be-"_

She nearly jumped out of her skin as Dagur's foot suddenly appeared next to her right hand and her suspicions of there being a doorway were confirmed as the surface disappeared under her fingers. The smallest hint of a blush entered her cheeks as he asked why she was acting strangely. "Apologies, it won't happen again."

"I know you have a lot on your mind, there's nothing wrong with looking back on the past," he smiled sheepishly. "You're thinking about him so much that you aren't aware of your actions. Not that I'm jealous or anything, I'm just worried." He shrugged his shoulders as she ruffled his hair, an apologetic smile appearing across her features.

"Well well, what do we have here?" a deep guttural voice called out from behind a large dark red curtain. It was as if a fortune teller had set up their personal tent within the wall. It was quite odd with all the crystals and pair of torches that illuminated the space. The curtain was drawn back, revealing a robed figure many times taller than an average Viking. Their robes were made of various layer and colors but there was more black than all the others combined. Their leather gloved hands gestured for them to venture inwards. "I won't bite ya," they chuckled, taking a seat behind the black stained desk. "What are ya lookin' to know? I've got lots of rare info available to you for the right price."

"Are you seriously wearing a dress?" Dagur snickered, unable to hide his amusement as they turned their attention to the figure. "You look like a gypsy I once saw at-"

Mala stepped forward, her heart beating rapidly. "Are you the Info Broker of Baswin?" Her eyes locked with the mysterious figure's violet orbs as they released a sign before nodding their head. "Then you have something I need."

"Perhaps I do. The real question is if you have what is required." A large silver scale was pulled from underneath the desk. It was an intricate instrument with reptilian scale-lie patterns the color of moon drops covering the stem. "What are you wanting to know, stranger?"

Dagur opened his mouth to tell the strange person that they should be more respectful of his queenie but the gentle hand on his shoulder stopped him. Perhaps it was better if their identities remained secrets for now. "We are looking for her twin brother," he said instead. "He's been missing for a long time, since they were kids, but we just found out that there may be a chance that he is alive somewhere."

"So you're the twin girl," the figure chuckled, studying Mala intently. "Yes, I can see it now." Her hands trembled slightly as she moved to stand before the figure, her movements halting at the warning flash of their eyes. "Easy there, lass, being physical won't get you anywhere."

Mala could barely contain her curiosity. Had this person really met him? When? How? What circumstances would have leg to the meet? She shook off her thoughts as Dagur's hand gently grasped hers. Just as she learned in training, she forced all emotions into a deep part of her heart and steadied her breathing before fixing the figure with calm olive orbs. "Please, tell us what you know. I would be forever grateful."

The robbed figure nodded appreciatively as Dagur tossed a knot string bag onto the desk. "Your friend is knowledgeable in these sort of affairs."

She briefly turned to her beloved, ready to tell him to take back the bag, but fell silent as he simply pressed his lips against her forehead. "Don't worry about it. Consider it my sister's wedding gift." His eyes glanced towards the figure as they opened the bag and examined its contents. "I believe those will work for you?" he asked. "If more is needed, it's no problem."

The figure gestured to the chairs across from him and the entrance to the little abode closed itself by unseen means. "Shall we get down to business?"

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How was that? Be sure to let me know in the comments!


	3. Expanding the Search

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the fanfiction! This is a request from BlueNovaNF, my one and only! It took a lot of hard thinking and planning, but I think I have all my ducks I a row. We'll see how this goes! I don't own HTTYD but I do own my OCs. Thank you for taking the time to read! I know it's a bit short but that's all time would allow me! Let's get started!

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 **Expanding the Search**

There was a group waiting for them when they landed back on the island. Mala's eyes met each in turn, noting the anxious excitement that was in each. She raised a hand as she slipped from Triple Stryke's back. "I understand that you all are waiting to hear if the elder's words are true."

"Do we have news for you all!" Dagur crowed, slipped an arm around her shoulders. "But first, let's eat! I'm starving!" His own eyes met each of the villager's in turn, silently telling each that it was best not to push her for answers. He raised an eyebrow when no one made to move towards the village. "Am I missing something?"

Throk stepped forward from the group. Dagur and Mala immediately focused on him as he explained that they had received a Terror Mail stating that the Riders would be stopping by shortly after their departure. "We were about to send word to you, but it wouldn't have done any good." Understanding dawn on them as an explosion came from the village, followed by a familiar Zippleback flying overhead.

"Very well." Mala nodded, forcing her lips upward into a polite smile as they made their way to the village. She wanted nothing more than to be left alone to sort through the information that they had just received but she was a monarch. Her personal feelings had to be put to the side for the time being, something she was used to doing, but this time was far more difficult than all the others combined. A sigh slipped between her lips as they entered the squre, spotting the aftermath of the explosion concentrated near the center. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were high-fiving each other while the other riders simply shook their heads. "What a pleasant surprise," she called, smiling to each in turn. "It's wonderful to see you. My apologies for not being here to receive you."

"Don't worry about it, it was my fault for not sending a Terror Mail early enough." Her sharp eyes quickly found the shadows under Hiccup's as he extended his hand in greeting. "There's been a lot going on and I think you should know about them."

She could sense his hesitance as his eyes briefly glanced at the villagers around them. "Shall we take a walk?" Dagur immediately offered to take the remaining riders to visit the Protector, surprising her. Those two were as close as siblings so why would Dagur skip an opportunity like this to catch up with him? Her attention shifted to the young Viking in front of her as his shoulders slightly relaxed the more they walked, Toothless occasionally coming up to them and rumbling softly. It wasn't until they were a fair distance from the village that she spoke. "Something is troubling you, young Haddock."

Hiccup's eyes rose to meet hers, revealing a bottomless sadness. "My father has passed." Bitterness filled him as he relived the moment Drago's Bewilderbeast taking control of his best friend and using Toothless to attack him. "There was nothing I could do."

Mala's hand rose to rest upon his shoulder. "You broke through the Alpha's control on a Night Fury, Hiccup, that is an amazing feat in itself." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry for your loss, dear friend. I wish we had been able to offer assistance."

His expression softened as he moved to stand in front of her. "You wouldn't believe who we ran into: my mother!" Her eyes widened in astonishment as he explained that his mother had been carried off by a dragon when he was just a baby and that she had been in hiding for so many years. "That's not even the craziest thing! Toothless is now a Titan!" Toothless turned to them as the sound of his name, the blue markings flaring up slightly as he clapped his spines.

"Impressive!" she praised, moving closer to Toothless to see the markings better. There was power faintly radiating from the glowing tribals and there seemed to be a new pressure surrounding the Night Fury. Yes, Toothless had indeed become a Titanwing. "Congratulations to the both of you. I know neither of you wanted the power that is now in your possession, but I'm sure you will make far better use of it than most."

Hiccup's mouth opened, then closed as her olive orbs met his hazel ones. Sounded like she understood his struggle with accepting the new chiefly duties being thrown at him. He smiled appreciatively and turned his attention towards the horizon with an innocent look. "So, what's been going on with you?"

"Nothing to be concerned of," she simply stated, rising to stand at full height. "Everything is fine."

"Is that so? Nothing big happened recently?" he raised an eyebrow as she remained silently. "I may be new to the whole chief thing, but I've gotten to know the signs when someone has something they want to talk about but they can't bring themselves to. You can tell me." Hiccup crossed his arms, giving her his best chief face. Dagur has reached out of him a few days ago saying that something had happened that had a severe impact on her and he couldn't help but agree with the Berserker that Mala was indeed holding in everything when it wasn't necessary. "It's okay to ask for help."

Her eyes shot to his, narrowing as if silently telling him to stop now. "I'm not sure that you should worry yourself in the matters of others that do not belong within your responsibilities."

"If you won't let me help you as a chief that you are allies with, then let me help you as a friend," he smiled. "Dagur already has the Berserkers out and looking, so what makes you think he wouldn't as Berk for help?"

For the smallest space of time anger rose in her being, but it vanished as quickly as it had come and was replaced with love for her beloved. His own tribe was out looking for any sign of her lost brother and here she was thinking that this was her problem alone to handle. "Perhaps I need to better acquaint myself with the meaning of companionship between my friends and my beloved."

"You're not alone in any of this, Mala," Hiccup couldn't help but chuckle as Toothless head-butted the chieftess. "It's okay to ask for help."

"Well then, I suppose this is as good of time as any." Mala steeled herself, breathing deeply through her nose. "I, Queen Mala of the Defenders of the Wing, request your assistance. Hiccup Haddock the Third, Chief of Berk, would you aid me in this search?"

"How could I say no?" he smiled.

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How was that? Be sure to let me know in the comments!


	4. Teamwork

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the fanfiction! The doctor has given me the green light to go home! All I have is just a few more appointments and evaluations and then I will have a clean bill of health! For those who don't know, I have been going through a very rough time since last February. My Grammie passed away shortly after I left the hospital and we were on our way home when we were in a car accident. The car was completely totaled and I was left with a head injury that affected my memory. In one night, I had lost the last two years of my life. The doctors had made a big breakthrough in what had caused it (a concussion as well as a _Thrombophlebitis_ in the left side of my neck that led to my brain). A few short weeks after my diagnosis, the strongest person in my life lost her fight against nervical cancer. The loss of two of the most important people in my life was so great that it left me broken. Thanks to my family and my hubby, they were able to help me regain the things I had lost as well as helping me find strength. Anyway, here we are! This is a request from BlueNovaNF, my one and only! We'll see how this goes! I don't own HTTYD but I do own my OCs. Thank you for taking the time to read! Let's get started!

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 **Teamwork**

Hiccup gave Astrid and Fishlegs a series of instructions for when they returned but he had given them strict orders that Team A were to begin observing the neighboring islands so as to not leave Berk defenseless. They were interested as to why he was choosing to remain with the Defenders, but he promised them that he would explain at a later time. "It's a chiefly duty I need to see through to the end," He chuckled as Astrid gave him a sympathetic look. She made him promise to be careful, swiftly kissed him on the cheek, mounted Stormfly, and headed off after the other riders.

"I can't begin to express my gratitude for your assistance. I do not wish to keep you from Berk long." Mala gestured for him to follow her back to the village. He reminded her that Astrid and Fishlegs would be there to help with things until he returned, as well as his mother. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather spend time with your mother?" she asked, giving him a knowing look. "Your affection for her is obvious and it is clear that you want nothing more than to return to her."

"Who wouldn't?" he shrugged. When the rebuilding of Berk had begun, there had been plenty of opportunities for them to catch up. She was full of stories of rescuing dragons and he had plenty to tell her of the way their home had changed since accepting the dragons. "It's alright. She'll be there when I get back." Hiccup's head tilted to the right as he studied the queen in front of him. Now that he thought about it, he didn't know much about the Defenders' customs or history. He had never heard her speak of her own parents and when she revealed that she had a twin brother was more than surprising. She was formidable as leader and individual, so he couldn't help but attempt to picture the person of interest; height would be the same, hair would probably be in a similar style to Throk's but lighter in color, eyes narrower than her own, obviously a harder jawline. He dismissed the mental picture though when he pondered about the parents' appearances. For all he knew, they could have had warts or some other clan trait that might not be visible. "What about yours?" he asked. "What were they like?"

"I don't remember much of my mother," she sighed as they walked through the main square, her eyes briefly resting on a villager who was cradling an infant wrapped in black fleece. "she passed when I was still very young. She was very kind with a heart of gold with locks to match and her eyes like emeralds." A hand rose to stem the stream of apologies from the young chief. Mala couldn't help but smile as the villager nodded in greeting before another child no older than four threw themselves at her. "I was about six years old, four years before the trials." Hiccup recalled the trials Snotlout nearly completed and flinched at the thought of young children completing trials as dangerous as those. If her mother passed while she was at a young age, then that meant that her father would have raised them. He opened his mouth to ask about the man, but his lips closed the second he saw the look on her face. It was clouded, and her eyes held a tightness as they hesitantly met his own. She shook her head ever so slightly. Now was not the time to be reminiscing on childhood memories. "Back to the task at hand-"

"Wait, I want to hear about her!" Dagur suddenly appeared between them, throwing an arm over each of their shoulders as he steered them towards his and Mala's personal hut. "How tall was she? I bet you got your eyes from her. What about your dad? Did he have blonde hair? You definitely got your hair from him." Mala couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. Honestly, she appreciated that he wanted to know more about her. They entered the hut and made their way to the table. "Oh, and we should tell Hiccup more about your brother too!"

"I would like to know more about the person we are searching for." He fell into a chair that Dagur offered and scooted it closer to the table as they took their own seats. Mala's somewhat bewildered expression slowly became smoothed over into one of indifference. It was far too early for her to delve that deeply into her unexplored memories and emotions. Hiccup and Dagur instantly quieted. "Or we could go over the information."

"The trail starts with the old woman, the elder." Dagur jumped in. "The elders paid us a visit a few moons ago and, this is the part I hate most, told my Queenie that they don't follow her anymore. Can you believe it?!" Hiccup's eyes widened as Mala simply sighed. He recalled how the Defenders had been when they had first met and had thought that the tribe was heading towards a bright future. Evidently, some of their elders felt differently. "Some old sack-"

"Elder Fergus McMicistern."

"Said that they would be bringing some other girl to challenge Mala to the trials again in hopes that this new girl can take the throne. Obviously, my Queenie will beat the living snot out of her and show those two faced wrinkled yaks what a true queen is capable of!" Dagur blinked in surprise as Mala placed a hand atop of his that was resting on the table. "I know they are the elders and I'm still new to the tribe, but they are being sticks in the mud. Tradition is a wonderful thing, but letting it stop the younger Vikings from pursuing what they think is right is wrong!"

"I'm not upset," she smiled, her eyes softening. "in fact, I'm the opposite. Hearing you speak this way has been not only amusing but truthful. The elders grew up in a different time that we can scarcely imagine, it's understandable why they are set in their ways." Hiccup nodded in understanding. There were plenty in Berk that were attempting to force their old ideals onto him. She pulled out a few scrolls and laid them out onto the flat surface. There was one of Arcapelago and one of a region that they had never seen before. "Back to the task at hand. One of the elders heard a rumor that he may be alive and was kind enough to give me the location of one who would have more information." Hiccup and Dagur pointed out the areas that were currently being searched.

A knock came from the door, causing their attention to shift upward as Throk entered. "My queen, there is word from the elder island. They will be arriving within the next two full moons with their challenger."

"There's still so much area that has yet to be searched." Hiccup tapped his chin as he looked over the maps. "We have our dragons, but it would still take more than that so cover all this ground even with our tribes helping."

"We don't need to." Mala thanked Throk, ushering him in and instructing him to close the door. "The man we went to see at the tradepost has given us some clues and I need each of you to assist me in narrowing the search. He is in someplace that once thrived with people, where the dirt is dry and ash, the sky is gray day and night, and the land is dyed red with the heat of a thousand suns." Hiccup suggested Fireworm Island, but it was quickly ruled out since no one would live there. Dagur brought up that it's gray skies up north, however that too was dismissed. "It's not likely that he would be in any sort of ruins, he would have been found by now. The fact that it's been so long suggests that he was taken, unlike the popular belief of some of the elders that he ran away."

Throk rested a hand on her shoulder. "I've known you and him my whole life, he would have never run away from anything. There's no other explanation, he must have been taken against his will."

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Hiccup held up a hand. "there are too many factors that need to be considered."

"I don't know, it seems pretty cut and dry. I mean, why else would he not have come back?" Dagur held up his hands as Hiccup threw him a glare. "What? It makes perfect sense!" His eyes shifted over the unfamiliar map, then pointed to one area towards the east. "Is that really Bay Haunted by a Broken Heart? That's a lot farther than father made is sound. I can't believe it's real though." Dagur's eyes lit with excitement the more he examined the maps. He wasn't one to wander from his home so he was more than excited to spread his wings. "Oh! There's the Flaming Forest! Our father visited it once way before Heather and I were around, there was this big chief thing he was invited to- I think Stoic was invited to that thing as well, sorry to hear about him, brother -with some foreigner."

"I'm guessing there's a point why you are telling us about all this?" Throk asked, confusion filling his eyes. He wasn't the only one. Hiccup was using his newly extended patience to its full extent while Mala was calmly waiting. She had quickly learned that Dagur had his own method of getting to a point, even if it was more round-a-bout than a normal person's.

The Berkian blinked as Dagur began making circles around each of their home island and then bigger circles farther from each. The larger circles must represent the search radius that they had instructed their people to stay within. Now that it was marked out on a map, it was clear to see which areas where none of their homes were able to reach easily. One that was farthest from any of them was the Flaming Forest. "I don't think we have any groups out that far." Hiccup looked to Mala, who shook her head. "Why don't we head up there ourselves in the morning? It's a start at least and there are tradeposts that we could stop at for rest since it will be a four day trip."

"In the meantime," Dagur jumped in, eyeing Mala. "tell me more about him!"

Throk noticed the way his queen's shoulders slumping. "If you will allow me, my queen." he bowed his head as she nodded. "We three were close friends when we were children, believe it or not. I'm prepared to tell you all you need to know." He held up his hands as Dagur's and Hiccup's questions quickly filled air.

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Well? What do you think? Let me know in the comments!


	5. Helping Hand

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the fanfiction! This is a request from BlueNovaNF, my one and only! It took a lot of hard thinking and planning, but I think I have all my ducks I a row. We'll see how this goes! I don't own HTTYD but I do own my OCs. Thank you for taking the time to read! Maybe there will be a bonus chapter No Throk stories here, but maybe later! Sorry! Let's get started!

* * *

 **Helping Hand**

Hiccup stretched as they entered unknown waters. The Night Fury couldn't help but glance in every direction as they flew. Water the color of aquamarines was now the color of dark emeralds, the sky was now far more cloudy, and the temperature had risen to the point where the Viking and his companions had no choice but to resort to removing a few articles of their clothing. He had removed most of his garments but refused to remove the armor. Toothless had slowed slightly, his wingbeats slightly sluggish. "I know, bud, the heat's getting to me too." He twisted in his saddle, turning his attention to Triple Stryke. "How is he doing? Do we need to stop for a break?"

"He's a warrior," Dagur fondly patted the exotic dragon's side as it huffed. It had been keeping up with Toothless for most of the trip, but with the warm weather it began to struggle despite its best efforts to not let it show. Much to their surprise, Dagur had forsaken all clothing except for boots, his undergarments, and the leather straps he wore that bore a Skrill that held his weapons. Hiccup could have gone his whole life without seeing so much of the Berserker, while Mala was the opposite. She couldn't help but admire the lean muscles that moved smoothly under his scarred skin. "The true question is if that Night Fury can keep up with us."

"He's never carried the two of us for this long." Mala shook her head, sympathetically running her hand over the dragon's sides as it glanced back towards her. She too had resorted to removing some clothing. Gone were her sleeves and layers, leaving her in a metallic gold tunic, black cloth pants that reached her knees, and a black leather belt that matched her boots. Dagur couldn't help the pink tinge in his cheeks that wasn't caused by the heat. Every time he glanced downwards at the woman sitting before him, the sight of fair skin that wasn't normally visible would cause heat to pool in his face. Mala would never admit it, but the way he was looking at her sent lightning bolts down her spine and made her heart hammer. She prayed to the Ancients that no one was paying attention to her slight squirming. "Resting would be wise."

The only problem was that there were no islands or sea stacks around for them to rest on. Hiccup pulled out his spyglass, peering in every direction. There was nothing but open water. His movements stalled as a familiar sail came into focus just when he was about to put the glass away. "I don't believe it!" A smile spread across his face as Toothless descended and landed on the boat's deck, followed by their companions. He dismounted as a familiar figure approached. "Eret, it's great to see you!"

The once dragon trapper embraced the young Viking, laughing heartily. "What are you doing so far out in the open waters?" Eret smiled, releasing Hiccup as he turned his attention to the others. "Well well, I never would have imagined that the queen of the Defenders of the Wing and king of Berserkers would be dropping by for a visit." He bowed deeply in their direction as Toothless headbutted him. His eyes grew serious as they fell on the Triple Stryke. "Looks like your friend there is having some trouble. Mind if I have a look?" Hiccup's eyebrows rose as the trader began to examine the dragon. It appeared that his time with Gobber and Fishlegs were beginning to have an effect on him. Skullcrusher lumbered out onto the deck, briefly nuzzling the son of his former rider, then made its way towards the winded dragon. It took one look, grabbed Eret by the tunic, and drug him to one of the barrels that a crewmember was holding. "Thank you, dragon!" He reached into the barrel and pulled out a cluster of strange leaves a shade of green that nearly matched a Scauldron. In the blink of an eye, he had pureed them and was trickling the paste into the Triple Stryke's mouth with Dagur's assistance. The dragon shook itself as a dog would, it's scales becoming more saturated than even after molting. "There we go! Good as new!"

"Looks like you and Skullcrusher are getting along great," Hiccup smiled as the dragons made their way to the other end of the ship. "my father would be glad."

"So what brings you to this side of the world?" Eret leaned against the portside as he adjusted the sail.

Hiccup's mouth opened but closed it as Mala's eyes locked with his, narrowing slightly. It didn't go unnoticed by Dagur and he quickly averted her attention to the water as unfamiliar fish swam by. "Sorry, it's kind of personal." Dagur and Mala were engrossed in a hushed conversation for many seconds before she finally nodded in their direction. Eret would know more about this area than any of them, if there was any chance that he could point them in the right direction she was willing to take the chance.

The trader listened intently as Hiccup described the place that the two had been told about and stroked his chin. Nothing was coming to mind, no matter how much he wracked his brain. His gut twisted as a memory surfaced. They couldn't possibly be looking for that…could they? "Who told them to look for those?" Eret's hand rose to his chest, the burn scar flaring up as the crewmembers within earshot paused in their work.

"You know something." Mala glanced to each in turn as they hurriedly returned to their tasks, her now hardened gaze falling onto the trader.

"Aye, we've heard of that one," one of the crewmembers finally answered after a few moments of silence. "don't know why they would send you that place though."

The trio looked to Eret, who shifted uncomfortably. "You won't like what you find."

"We'll be the judge of that." Mala moved to stand in front of him, her olive orbs bearing into his. "Now tell us what you are hiding or I will have no choice but to resort to other methods." Dagur and Hiccup looked to one another, surprised by her harsh tone. They have never seen her so cold and for her to even suggest violence was something very unlike the composed queen that they had come to know.

Eret's shoulders slumped. "It's one of _his_ camps, the only one in this area."

Hiccup's eyes widened as they shot towards the Night Fury, flashes of a Bewilderbeast under the control of a large man with one arm reflecting in his orbs. Toothless seemed to sense his rider's distress and quickly made his way to Hiccup's side. "You mean Drago Bludvist." The Night Fury growled at the name, his blue marks flaring brightly. Dagur's hands were clenched into fists as he remembered all that Hiccup had told him and stories that his father had told him. He himself had his own record, but Drago was as bad as they came. Mala couldn't help the lump of guilt that rested in her throat as her companions battled with their inner feelings. This man, Drago, had affected the two men in front of her in more ways than she could imagine. Here they were helping her out of the goodness of their hearts and she had been nothing but selfish since this began.

"It's abandoned now, but who knows what you're going to find." Eret bowed his head to each of them. "I would be prepared for anything. There are probably traps covering every inch of that place." He welcomed them to rest for as long as they needed and told them to help themselves to their supplies before turning his attention back to his crew.

Dagur blinked in confusion as Mala took several steps back until she was against the starboard. "What's the matter, Mala-poo? Are you feeling sea sick?" His confusion grew as she refused to look him in the eye as he approached her. "Come on, you can't hide anything from me. I'm your king, you're my queen." He reached out and grasped her gently by the shoulders when she still wouldn't raise her eyes from the boat under their feet. "You're probably felling bad about dragging us into this and wishing that you had just kept this all to yourself. That this would all be so much simpler and easier if you hadn't told us. This is your problem and you shouldn't have let us come along no matter how much we pushed you." His hand cupped her chin and raised it so her eyes finally met his own. "You're wrong."

Her eyes widened in shock and surprise. "How did you know?"

"Come on," he shrugged, smiling. "it's me. I know you better than anyone else." His arms pulled her against his chest. "No matter where this takes us, you can count on me and Mr. Triple Stryke. You don't have to bear the weight of the world on your shoulders, no one can. We're only human, okay? You may be queen of the Defenders, but you are only one person. You aren't Thor or Odin. You're you, my queenie, my Mala-poo, my number one girl besides my sister." Mala rested her head against his shoulder, breathing in his woodsy scent as he rubbed her back soothingly.

Hiccup noticed their exchange from the corner of his eye but kept his focus on Toothless as he sat cross-legged. He was still having trouble coming to terms with everything that had happened, how was he supposed to just walk into a place where that man once lived? The Night Fury rumbled softly as Hiccup clung to him. "Toothless, I won't force you to go there," he whispered, looking the dragon in the eye. "we are going to stay behind while they go on ahead." Toothless grumbled softly, tilting his head as his rider began to tremble slightly. He sent Hiccup to the deck with a headbutt and began licking his face. "Tooth-bleh-less! Sto-ugh-stop!" The young chief sputtered, unable to keep from smiling as the dragon above him rumbled softly. It wasn't until several seconds that Toothless finally ceased and allowed Hiccup to sit up. "I get it, bud, we can't let what happened scare us from seeing this through. Mala is counting on us and I don't want to let her down after she's done so much for us."

A hand fell on his shoulder and he turned to find Mala looking down on him. Her expression was calm and held appreciation. "Hiccup Haddock the Third, thank you."

"Don't thank us yet," he smiled, accepting her offered hand and was helped to stand. "Save it for after the adventure."

"Which I hope you tell me all about when we cross paths again," Eret smiled from where he was standing next to Triple Stryke. He had been filing their spare saddlebags with food and medicinal items that they might need. "From the sounds of it, it's going to be quite the tale."

"Don't worry," Mala offered him the smallest hint of a smile. "your kindness will be repaid, you have my word."

With quick words of gratitude, the riders remounted and were just a few leagues from the boat when Eret's eyes widened. "Gronkle iron, I forgot to mention that there may be others out there. Ever since Drago practically destroyed that place, there have been scavengers and graverobbers." He accepted a Terrible Terror from one of the crewmembers after writing furiously for a few minutes on a scrap piece of paper, attached the paper to one of it's legs, and sent it after them. "Be safe."

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Well? How was that? Let me know your thoughts!


	6. Devastation

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the fanfiction! This is a request from BlueNovaNF, my one and only! It took a lot of hard thinking and planning, but I think I have all my ducks I a row. We'll see how this goes! I don't own HTTYD but I do own my OCs. Thank you for taking the time to read! Let's get started!

* * *

 **Devastation**

The farther they went, the harder it was for them to see and breathe correctly. Hiccup had tied a rope from his waist to Mala's own so that they wouldn't lose one another in case the conditions became worse. Lucky for them. They quickly found themselves squinting to see the backs of their dragon's heads. Mala, using a piece of cloth from her pack, was pressing it against her mouth as a sort of filter. Her nose twitched as it identified the substance that was attempting to fill their lungs. "It's ash."

"Makes me think of home!" Dagur clapped his hands and billows of ash fell from them, earning a sneeze from the dragon carrying them. "When we burned the trees for fun and played in the stuff for hours!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes, wrapping a cloth around his head to protect his nose and mouth. "What could create so much though?"

"A volcano?" Mala suggested. "There are stories the books tell us about when and how the island we call home came to be. They spoke of how the area surrounding the newly born island was enclosed within a barrier of smoke that lasted for many years. It lasted so long that the newly growing vegetation nearly suffered from the lack of sunlight."

Dagur rested his chin against her shoulder. "Oooh, good guess! But I would have to disagree!" Mala, and Hiccup if he could have seen clearly, locked him with a look of surprise. "It's the wrong color for a volcano, it would be greenish or yellowish. Look at this stuff! It's gray with black pieces!"

Hiccup's eyes widened as they searched the fog. He was right! A maple leaf sized piece landed on his shoulder and when he reached up to wipe it, it crumbled into dust and smeared across the armor. Dagur's early words echoed in his head the longer they flew. To burn something to cause this much ash would have to be large. He was brought out of his thoughts when the rope around his waist tugged. "Everything okay over there?" The Night Fury glanced towards his right when no answer came and released a call.

Mala's head tilted as Toothless's call echoed around them. She glanced back at Dagur and received a shrug. Her eyes cast downwards as a tug on the rope caused her to slide forward in the saddle. Dagur threw his arms around her as the rope suddenly grew tight. She in turn clung to him and Sleuther as another tug nearly caused her to slip sideways. "By the Ancients, what is happening?!" she cried, gasping as the rope constricted and caused her breathing to become erratic. The Triple Styke veered to the left, in Hiccup and Toothless' direction, only to find emptiness.

"Very funny, brother, haha! Joke's on us! You can stop now!" Dagur's eyes followed the rope from Mala's waist to where it disappeared into the smoky fog that lead downwards. Where they under them? "Mr. Nightfury, where are you?" Sleuther roared, but there was no answer. A cry tore from Mala as a fierce pull ripped her from Dagur's grasp. "Mala!"

"Dagur!" As if in slow motion, she reached for his hand as Triple Stryke dove after her and grasped smoke as the rope was yanked. Her hand snatched the hidden dagger she kept at her thigh and severed the rope from around her waist as gray forms began appearing below her. A hiss of pain slipped between her teeth as something snapped across her face. Drawing her knees to her chest, she waited for one of the gray figures to come closer before she thrust out the hand holding the blade. Her eyes widened as the air was pierced with cracking sounds and was showered with black as her descent slowed to a stop. When she had managed to clear the mysterious blackness from her eyes, she couldn't help the overwhelming horror that filled her.

Everywhere she looked, there was nothing but charred destruction. There was no other shade of color to be found amongst the long dead remains of trees and shrubs. Her dagger was pierced into one of the dead trees, suspending her a few meters from the ground. The cloth that was protecting her nose and mouth fell away as she withdrew the blade and slipped through the nearly bone-like branches. She snatched it from the air as she landed and was mimicking Hiccup's method of tying it around her head when something wet caught her attention. When she withdrew her hands, finished with the knot, she found traces of blood on her fingers. One of the branches must have cut her when she was falling. She shook her head as she wiped them clean with the cloth. "There are more things to worry about than a simple cut." Her eyes rose to the sky only to find that she could barely see the tops of the dead trees closest to her. The ground crunched as she began taking steps towards the largest tree close to twenty meters away, bringing her attention to it's strange soft yet crunchy surface. There were large clumps of debris mixed with the same ash they had found in the air. Realization hit her as a wave of heat nearly blew her off her feet. "The Flaming Forest."

Her head shot to upwards as a sound eerily echoed across the desolate land. Despite the caution she was used to exercising, something within her seemed to be drawn in the direction of the sound. A small spark of hope lit as a familiar roar was heard. Eyes peeled, she began making her way towards the east. The scene never changed despite how long and far she walked. The same sound came every once in a while, but it was always inaudible to her. Was it an animal or a person? A hand rose to her chest as it constricted painfully as a definitive human yell came. It clearly wasn't Dagur or Hiccup…and yet it made her heart stall. It was as if a far-off memory was attempting to surface. Renewed hope filled her as the information broker's words sounded in her ears. "…the dirt is dry and ash, the sky is gray day and night, and the land is dyed red with the heat of a thousand suns." Mala's legs began moving faster, nearly matching the pace her heart was setting. She slid to a halt as she came to the top of a hill and fell to her knees, everything in her world coming to a stop as her eyes rose from the newly uncovered red soil to the scene in front of her.

Absolute ruin lay as far as she could see. Half-destroyed buildings that were nearly buried in the ash falling from the sky, appearing and disappearing with each gust of heat. A surprised yelp slipped from her as the ground under her gave and would have sent her tumbling if she hadn't acted quickly by gathering her feet underneath her. Her sense of self-satisfactory dissipated as she reached the bottom of the hill and found herself face-to-face with a dragon skull. Bile shot up her throat as she turned away and spotted more skeletons. Everywhere she turned, there were charred skeletons or rotting dragon corpses that filled the air with the foulest of odors. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she doubled over, lifting the cloth just as her stomach heaved and the little food she had consumed joined the piles of ash. "By the Ancients," she whispered, wiping her mouth and flinching away from what she had thought was a rock she had been leaning against when she realized it was a half-buried spinal cord. "this is the underworld." Her eyes widened as another wave of heat, ten times any she had felt since arriving, forced her to a crouching position. Pin needle-like pains began erupting allover her body that wasn't protected by cloth and she was surprised to find that her exposed skin was beginning to burn and peel. She quickly surveyed the area and spotted some sort of divot a few meters to her left, slipping inside as another wave came.

It wasn't until it had passed that she took in her new surroundings. The divot seemed to lead downwards, into darkness. Using her hands, she ventured into the dark; one on the wall closest and the other outstretched while holding the dagger. The hand that rested against the wall found something nearly a foot long a few steps into the darkness. After carefully examining it with her fingers, she found that it was a torch-like object and found her assumptions to be true when she retreated back to the entrance. It was as she was making her way back downwards that she heard the sound from before. "Show yourself!" she called out, her eyes darting every which way as she walked. "Who are you?" Alarm filled her as an earsplitting bellow came from ahead. Her steps quickened as worry for her companions began to grow. The farther she ventured, the more the walls changed from natural to manmade.

The soil walls that curved around her were now straight and made of a black stone that was smooth to the touch. Unsurprisingly, the farther she went the temperature decreased as well, bringing relief to her reddened and irritated skin. A hand tore the cloth from her face as she slid to a halt before a fork. Which path should she take? Closing her eyes and slowing her breathing, she tuned out her racing heart so as to better focus on listening. There! Ever so softly, there was a sound coming from the right tunnel…a sound full of pain. She took off towards the right without a moment's hesitation. Her eyes widened as cages began to fly past her. "By the Ancients, this is a Dragon Hunter dwelling." Stomach acid shot up her throat as she realized that what she had found was a dumping ground, forcing her to come to a stop in front of a cage. Nothing but clear liquid came from between her lips, no matter how much her stomach heaved. It had nothing else within it. Her head shot upwards as the faintest of sounds echoed around her, coming from the cage she leaned against.

As if in a daze, her eyes made their way towards the cage entrance and stared into its depths. Every hair on her body stood up straight as the torchlight exposed a Titan Wing Catastrophic Quakin'. Its eyes were locked on her own, as if challenging her to enter. The sound from before came again, and she was shocked to find that it was coming from the dragon. The hand holding the torch brought it as close to the cage entrance as she dared and her blood turned cold as the light revealed multiple chains that were wrapped around the dragon. The floor was covered in dark red colored splatters and the smell coming from the cage made her skin scrawl. "Ancients Forbid, what have they done to you?"

The Titan's eyes seemed to glaze as it repeated the sound, then slowly refocused on her own. Her eyes quickly found the wounds that covered it's being. She also noticed that even with its large size and obvious maturity, it was terribly dehydrated and starved. A hand slipped into the pack on her back and pulled out a sage fruit. The dragon flinched as her hand entered the cage, it's eyes locked on her extended hand. "It's alright," she whispered, placing the fruit on the floor and gently pushed it so that it rolled to the Titan. "I'm not going to hurt you." The smell seemed to intrigue the dragon and it hesitantly nibbled the fruit. It was so engrossed with the strange fruit that it didn't notice her cracking the cage entrance so that she could slip inside, but it stiffened the second her hand rested on one of the chains. She was relieved to see that the sage fruit seemed to quickly take effect as the dragon relaxed. Her hands worked quickly at the locks and knots that were confining the beast, cringing as she discovered the depth and severity of the wounds. "You poor thing," she whispered, moving to stand before the beast as it finished the fruit completely. "No one will hurt you anymore." The Titan rumbled softly, it's eyes meeting her own as she offered a smile. Her breath caught though as the light in its eyes slowly faded. She bowed her head as the air was filled with its last exhale. "May the Ancients guide you in your journey towards the other realm."

"Mala!" Her heart constricted painfully as a new sound echoed around her. She never thought that she would be so relieved to hear his voice until she heard it now. Her head turned towards the cage entrance as two slim figures appeared. Dagur hurriedly entered the cage and threw his arms around her, nearly crushing her against his chest. Maybe it was the gore, or perhaps the fact that she had just witnessed the death of a dragon, maybe it was the heat; who knows what the cause was, but she couldn't fight off the darkness that overcame her as Dagur kissed her hair.

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I can't wait to hear from you!


	7. Mother's Lullaby

Greetings, all! Hope you have all been well! This is a request from BlueNovaNF, my one and only! It took a lot of hard thinking and planning, but I think I have all my ducks I a row. We'll see how this goes! I don't own HTTYD but I do own my OCs. Thank you for taking the time to read! Let's get started!

* * *

 **Mother's Lullaby**

 _"Are you still reading that old tome?" her brother teased as he slipped under the covers of his bed. His crossed as she simply ignored him. Her lips pursed as he recited her name multiple times, finally answering him with glare from over the book. "Come on, you can only learn so much from those dusty old things."_

 _She threw him a scowl. "And are you suggesting that my time would be better spent roaming around the wilderness with no means of preparation or survival?" Their attention shifted to the doorway as a chuckle was heard. A thin woman with honey hued hair gathered into a braided bun and dressed in the traditional black leather with gold tribals. Mala couldn't help the worry that filled her when she noticed the black shadows under her mother's usually bright sienna eyes. "Mother, are you alright?"_

 _The woman slowly made her way over to the children's bedside and knelt, the air filling with cracking. "Did you two have a good day?" Her smile faltered as they asked where their father was, but it remained intact. "Don't worry, he should be home from hunting soon."_

 _Mala cast a glance at her brother as he whined. "Brother, you must learn patience." She blinked as the tome was taken from her grasp and laid atop the bookcase. "He's been late before. There are others with him, so be still and trust in him to return home safely and swiftly."_

 _"Your sister is wise," their mother chuckled. "but your brother is also right. Books can teach you many things, but the best teacher is life itself." She fondly kissed each of her children on their foreheads and settled herself into the rocking chair that sat between their beds. "Now, what shall it be tonight?"_

Liquid flooded her lungs, causing her eyes to shoot open and her body to convulse. "Mala!" Dagur helped her sit up as she began coughing. Her hands clung to his being as she regained control of her breathing. Hiccup released a sigh of relief when she had sat up and offered her one of their waterskins once she had released Dagur. "Thank Thor you're alright!"

"Dagur, calm down and let her be for a minute." Hiccup couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips as he witnessed the two share a look. "We were so worried when you disappeared." Mala nodded, recounting the tugging of the rope and falling. She told them of her discoveries and couldn't help the tremors that soon took over her body. Sympathy entered Hiccup's orbs as she accepted the water and began taking small sips from it. He too had been shocked at the sight, but he had Toothless and Dagur to help him overcome the initial shock while she had been alone. He glanced over his shoulder towards the cage where they had found her, anger rising in his being. So it seemed that there was more to the Hunters than he thought. His attention shifted back to the queen as she raised a hand to the bandage that covered her cheek. "We treated the cut on your cheek. It wasn't terribly deep, but we didn't want it to get worse."

"Thank you." She offered a small smile before turning her attention to the tunnel that continued downwards. The sound that she had been following had stopped, leaving only their breaths filling what would have been silence. Dagur followed her eyes and assured her that the dragons were scouting farther down the tunnel. As if on cue, Toothless and Sleuther emerged from the darkness. They immediately noticed her and would have rushed her if it weren't for the look Dagur threw their way, at least Toothless did. The Triple Stryke ignored him and proceeded to nuzzle Mala. She more than welcomed his affection and fondly scratched under his chin, earning rumbles.

Dagur glanced toward Hiccup as he mentioned how worried the two of them had been and scratched the back of his head. "What are you talking about? I knew my queenie would be fine! I was more worried about you. You turned paler than Odin's Ghost when you saw all those-" He held up his hands as Toothless and Sleuther snapped at him. "Okay okay! I won't say it!" Everyone's eyes began darting around the cavern as a new sound began to fill the air.

Toothless rumbled softly, his head tilting left and right as his eyes remained locked on Mala. Unbeknownst to herself, she had begun humming a song that she had not heard for many years. "My apologies." Her eyes shot downwards to the ground as her cheeks became tinted in pink. Dagur and Hiccup couldn't help but chuckle at her sudden shyness. "It won't happen again." She quickly stood and began making her way down the path, torch in hand. Dagur quickly caught up with her and much to her discomfort, watched her with a strange expression on his face that made her face burn. Hiccup and the dragons made sure to keep their distance from the two while keeping them within sights. They all had no intention of witnessing any lovey-dovey if it could be helped. A frustrated sigh slipped between her lips after many minutes being under Dagur's gaze. "What is it?"

"Was that your mother's song?" Her heart stalled. Dagur offered an apologetic smile. "The old hag elder told me that your mother would sing you both to sleep at night." Mala's shoulders stiffened, but she nodded. "You've been humming it in your sleep ever since this whole thing started too so of course I was going to get curious and ask." His hand gently grasped hers, his warm fingers lacing with her own. He asked if she would be willing to sing it for him but the sadness in her eyes made him wish he could take back those words. Damn, he couldn't catch a break with all this sensitive stuff! "You don't have to sing it. I've just heard it so much that I've begun putting my own words to it. I only know the tune, since I've heard it so many times, but I would rather know what the original words are. They have to be way better than mine, I mean that's easy to do but they are from your mother! They are probably so moving and beautiful!"

"If you want to know, then why have you remained silent this whole time?" She turned to face him as they entered a large clearing with a single skylight in the top of the domed ceiling. Her eyes were tight in the corners and there was the slightest bit of moisture gathering along their edges. "Why?"

Hiccup held out his arm as they too entered the dome. His attention slid from his companions ahead of him to the strange structure. Just like the tunnel, its walls were made of black stone and the floor was bare dirt that had been leveled by foot traffic. He hated to admit it but he was impressed with how well the domed ceiling was constructed. It looked to be older than himself and the weapons that rested against the walls were like some he had never seen; some with jagged blades, a handful that looked like giant hybrids of morning stars and chains, there were even a few spears that had blades on each end. His eyes glanced upwards as the ghost of a breath tickled his face with traces of heat from the surface. The hole near the very center of the ceiling was large enough to allow light in as well as faint breezes but at the same time it was small enough to keep out any ash. Toothless' eyes seemed to lock on the farthest end of the dome, where it was crumbled. "What is it bud?"

Dagur scratched the back of his head. "Because I love you and trust that you'll tell me on your own without me having to pressure you." Surprise filled him as she threw herself against him, her arms wrapping around his waist as she buried her face in his neck.

"She prayed on a fallen star that we would never have a broken heart…" Though she was whispering, it was as if her voice was at normal volume and echoed almost eerily around them. "Though the world is cold, just remember who you are. She prayed that we would never have a rainy day and that no matter what people say…even when it hurts…it'll be okay…" Her heart constricted as the memory from before played out in front of her as if she was reliving it.

 _"Those dreams you have, I want you to chase them. This bond we have, let no one break it. When I'm on the road and I can't see your face," her mother rested a hand on each of their heads as she lowered her voice in response to their drooping eyelids. "this lullaby will never leave your heart. I love you, my little miracles, and that's why I pray on a falling star. Even though I'm not here to tuck you in every night, always know that I'm not far away…In your darkest hours, I'll help guide your way…through this lullaby I hope you'll hold…"_

"My darkest hours are nigh." She raised her head and revealing strengthened will within her eyes. "With mother's lullaby, your love for me, and the friends I have made, I have no doubt that we will find him."

"I hate to interrupt your little moment, but I could use a hand over here!" Hiccup's shout turned their attention to where the Berkian and two dragons were digging and moving rubble. It looked like a collapsed entryway! They hastily moved to join and were just meters away from the very center of the dome when the dragons turned and fixated on the pile of stone that sat there. It was as tall as four Vikings standing on each other's shoulders. Mala and Hiccup's eyes widened as they realized that what they thought was a skylight was in fact a portion of the ceiling that had fallen.

Toothless, teeth bared and pupils mere slits, approached the pile. Something from the depths was making the room smell like death and decay but there were sounds coming from it that he had nearly missed. All tension left his body as a strange scent tickled his nose. He had never smelled something like this and yet it filled him with a strange sensation. There were traces of a hatchling and a human, but there was the definitive scent of a female. The scent of the hatchling was strong, yet it was…stale and tinted with death. He extended a paw and swiped at the pile. A few of the rocks fell away to reveal a pool of blood, a hand, and the head of a baby dragon with its eyes missing.

Hiccup, Mala, and Dagur's blood ran cold at the sight. They slowly made their way towards the pile and began removing the rocks that covered the poor thing. A collected gasp came from them as they discovered a human corpse clinging to the body of an unknown hatchling. The infant dragon seemed as if it was made of obsidian with how black its scales were and it was as if it too was clinging to the corpse. "Is that a…Night Fury hatchling?" Hiccup whispered, his fingers gently removing it from the body and examining it intensely. It looked so much like a miniature Toothless and yet there was something off; there were pale markings around its empty eye sockets that worked its way to cover its entire underbelly. He recalled the markings that had appeared on his dragon when he had challenged Drago's Bewilderbeast. "It must be."

Mala's eyes couldn't tear away from the infant dragon. Something so young that never had a chance to grow or develop was tragic. Barbarians would practice such ways, but it was too simple of a term to describe these people. Monsters. Yes, they were all monsters. Alarm filled her as movement from the corner of her eyes brought her attention back to the corpse that still laid partially buried. Every hair on her body stood upright as one of its discolored fingers twitched. "By the Ancients," she stiffened as the entire hand reached for the hatchling. "what necromancy is this?"

Dagur grasped its wrist and gave a yank. The rest of the corpse flopped to the ground like a rag doll. It was clear now that it was a man close to their age with multiple scars and lacerations. He was covered in black soot and ash, most likely from the surface when the rocks had fallen. The clothing covering his being was minimal; simple woven cloth pants with frayed hems around his ankles while the leather tunic he wore hung off him by the single remaining strap. His hair was shoulder length and stained red, most likely from trauma caused by the rocks falling from the ceiling but even the Berserker Chief recoiled when he peered into the face. "His eyes are gone! It's as if someone dug them out!"

The man seemed to flinch at Dagur's yell, their chapped lips twitching slightly as if it was struggling to speak. "H…hel…help…me…"

Everything froze as Mala grabbed her dagger and placed it against his throat. "Are you one of them?" she growled, her eyes wide. The hand holding her dagger was steady despite her irregular breathing and racing heart. "Were you one of those monsters that imprisoned dragons? Why would you ask us to save vermin like you when you spared no dragon?! Answer me!"

"Mala, stop!" Hiccup grasped her wrist but made no move to remove it due to his other arm holding the deceased hatchling. Dagur, who had kept a hold on the man's right wrist, attempted to pull him away from her blade's cold edge but ceased when she followed. "Mala!"

"What is your name?!" she all but screamed, bringing her face down towards the man's. "I want to know the name of the Hunter who did such a vile act as to kill this sacred creature so that when I see Drago again I can inform him of your demise! Speak, filth! What is your name?!"

The man's head tilted. "One of…who?…I would…never….hurt…dragons…."

"How do we know you're not lying?" she growled back.

He visibly trembled, blindly extending a bruised hand and resting it on her own that held the dagger to his throat. "P…please…where…am I?...Why…am…I…here?..."

"You expect us to believe that you are innocent?!" Mala bristled. Did he honestly think that this act would convince them?! She raised her arm, preparing to bring it down on the man's thigh, and froze as her eyes spotted something that caused the room to spin: an earring in the shape of a star. "No…it can't be…"

* * *

Source for the lullaby is " _A Mother's Prayer_ " by _K. Michelle_! I can't wait to hear from you!


	8. Shattered Memories

Greetings, all! Hope you have all been well! Big thanks to everyone who had been following/favoring/reviewing this, I love hearing from the readers! This is a request from BlueNovaNF, my one and only! It took a lot of hard thinking and planning, but I think I have all my ducks I a row. We'll see how this goes! I don't own HTTYD but I do own my OCs. Thank you for taking the time to read! Let's get started!

* * *

 **Shattered Memories**

The blade fell from her grasp as Dagur gently pulled her away from the man as he fell into unconsciousness. She didn't fight him as he collected her in his arms. "Easy now," he whispered, glancing over his shoulder at Hiccup as she buried her face in his chest. "Well, brother? What do you think?"

"If you're suggesting what I think you are, then no." Hiccup's eyes narrowed as he wrapped the hatchling in a spare piece of clothing he had brought along and placed it within Toothless' saddlebags. His hand grasped the hilt of his sword as he turned back to face them, moving to stand between the two. "The dragon was clinging to him as much as he had been clinging to it. Even if he turns out to be a Hunter, not all of them are the same killers that we have come to know. You heard him, he would never hurt a dragon."

"There is such thing as a LIE!" Dagur snapped, his jaw tight.

Hiccup couldn't believe his ears! He has known the Berserker ever since they were children and despite their differences, they had always managed to understand one another…more or less. Dagur may be eccentric and had a habit of moving before thinking, but he had never been one that believed a life was easily expendable. "Then let him live on means that he may have information that we could use!"

"We don't kill him, his injuries will! Either way, he's a dead man!" Mala flinched at Dagur's shout. She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't realized that their heated exchange had risen to a near deafening volume thanks to the dome's acoustics. "Look at her! She has lost everyone she cared for and then some! I won't put her through any more of this hell!" His head snapped to the right as Mala's hand made contact with his cheek.

"I am the Queen of the Defenders of the Wing. I am not about to give up on account of what we've seen so far." she all but growled. "One would have thought you two, above all others, would have known me better than that." She slipped from his grasp and stood, her eyes as hard and cold as emeralds as she looked from one Viking to the other. Toothless and Sleuther shrunk back slightly as she glanced their way, each moving to stand behind their respective riders. "Death permeates this place already, let's not add another. I will not allow someone die in front of me if I can help it. If either of you even thinks of ending this man, I will end you myself." With stiff steps, she grabbed one of Triple Stryke's saddle bags and settled herself next to the unconscious man. "We can't leave him here and the dragons can't afford to carry another person. A boat would do."

They shared a glance at her harsh tone. Dagur simply turned on his heel and disappeared down one of the tunnels with Sleuther following. Hiccup, however, wanted nothing more than to help the man and lingered. That desire dissipated the longer she refused to acknowledge him. He could understand why she was upset at the Berserker, but he was lost onto why she was so upset with him. Toothless made the choice for him and they were soon following after Dagur's lead.

A sigh slipped through Mala's lips when she felt their presences fade. The room spun as she glanced towards his eyes…or at least what was supposed to be. She reached into the saddlebag that she had grabbed and removed all the medicinal supplies that Eret had been kind enough to give them. Using one of the skins, she flushed the empty sockets, carefully lifting each lid and allowing droplets to drip from her fingertips. She ripped one of her spare under shirts along it's hemline and tied it around his head so as to better protect what he had lost. "How you are still alive, only the Ancients know."

With a quick motion of her wrist, she had sliced open what was left of his tunic to reveal a gash four-inches-long across his chest that was caked with dirt. She wet a spare cloth with water from one of their skins and began to clean the wound. The water washed away the dirt but it revealed the large scab that covered the two-inch wide wound. There were strange white specs within it. "An infection," she whispered. "there's no choice then." As gently as possible, she used her dagger to cut out the dead skin. Her movements stalled as he grunted, what was visible of his face twisting with pain. "My apologies, but it had to be done." The scab and dead skin fell to the floor closely followed by a cloth stained yellowish-green. She wiped her hands on a cloth before setting to cleaning and dressing the wound. "There. Now for the rest of your injuries." Her hand was reaching to turn him onto his back when the man bolted upright into a sitting position, his hands grasping her wrists in a tight grip.

Despite his appearance and wounds, his steadiness and strong hold was unfathomable. "Who…are you?" his voice rasped like dry grass burning. She leaned backward as his head snapped forward, attempting to headbutt her, and attempted to maneuver a leg between them so she could deliver a kick but was blocked by his own knee. His head tilted to the right as her right hand shifted slightly in his grasp. The more they struggled, the more his head tilted in every which direction. "You aren't wearing armor." She may have imagined it, but she swore that under his dirt caked cheeks and scarred face…he blushed. "If I let go, will you put something on?"

Her own cheeks burned. "D-Don't be ridiculous! No one in their right mind would venture to such a place without proper clothing and protection!" She wrenched herself form his grasp and retreated until there were a few feet between them. "Even if you aren't a Hunter, I will punish you accordingly for the assumption you just made!" An eyebrow twitched as he seemed to examine himself, his hands darting around his body. "Are you out of your mind?! Don't perform such an act in front of a woman!"

"Says the one who travels with two men."

Mala's anger spiked. He thought he could sass off to her?! Her mouth opened, retort ready, but closed it and her eyes fell to the ground as she was filled with embarrassment. Where was all this hostility coming from? "My apologies." Her head rose when she didn't receive an answer and swiftly turned away the second her eyes had found the pile of discarded clothing. "By the Ancients, what are you doing?!"

His head tilted in her direction. "I can't go walking around in those rags, people would think poorly of me." Kneeling, he began to search the ground with his hands and smiled when he found a piece of clothing not too far to his left, his fingers quickly finding the jagged hemline. "You used this for my bandage, right? It feels like a good material, cotton perhaps." More clothing, this time leather, made contact with his middle and nearly forced all the air out of his lungs. They were longer and had sleeve-like parts. Pants! He identified the respectable slots and attempted to dress himself, but his movements halted as chuckles filled the air. Lips pursed, he focused on their source and moved towards them. "And what are you laughing at?"

"Apologies," she giggled, clearing her throat and steeling herself. Her smile, however, remained. The man knelt behind her and bowed his head while asking for her assistance. Surprised, she glanced at him from over her shoulder. He was mostly dressed, the pants too large for him since they were a spare of Dagur's but the rest was fine and covered most of his body. "Are you sure?" He nodded and held his arms out as she turned to face him fully. Her fingers were gentle as they straightened the top and used one of her own leather straps to act as a belt to that his trousers wouldn't fall. Using her dagger, she cut the hem of the undershirt shorter and removed the long sleeves, making it into a simple yet more unisex top than how it had originally been. "There you are."

"Thank you, for treating the wound in my chest." His lips lifted into a small smile as he raised a hand and brushed his fingers over the bandage covering his eyes. "What happened to my eyes?" She explained that they had found him in that condition and his expression twisted when she described that the eyeballs were gone just like the infant dragon's. "So you're saying that the psychopath the did this-"he pointed to the bandage"-did it to an innocent hatchling as well and attempted to bury us together in the same grave?" She didn't know how it was possible, but tears were trickling down his cheeks from behind the bandage. All breath left her when she realized that they weren't clear, that they were tears of blood. "Where is the hatchling now?"

"It's resting peacefully now." Mala looked past the man as he wiped away the trails with one of the discarded sleeves to spot her companions emerging from the tunnel they had disappeared into. Hiccup and the dragons slowly approached as the man's head tilted every which way. "You're awake," the young Berserk chief offered a smile as he noticed Mala's work. "thank Thor." He glanced towards Mala as the man reached a hand out and earned a shrug. His own hand slowly rose and clasped the outstretched one, blinking in surprise when the man stood and placed both hands on his shoulders. "Uuuuuh…."

"I recognize your voice. Thank you for speaking up on my behalf," the man offered a smile. "I may have appeared unconscious, but I could still hear what was going on." Hiccup nodded. The man's head tilted to the left as Dagur cleared his throat. "You were right to suspect me, I would have done the same if I had stumbled upon a blind guy."

"Do you know where you are?" Dagur simply asked, his eyes narrowing. "The Flaming Forest, in one of Drago's camps. He's a Dragon Hunter, big guy with black hair and scars, wears a cape made of dragon skin."

The man shook his head. "Sorry, am I supposed to know this Drago?"

"Really playing that mystery card, huh?" Dagur couldn't help but chuckle amusedly. He threw a smile towards Mala as she began apologizing for her actions earlier and he simply marched over and pressed his lips against her forehead. "Aw, who would have thought that she was worried my feelings were hurt! How touching!" The air filled with a smack as her hand slapped his chest, but she couldn't hide the smile and blush that had entered her cheeks. The man and Hiccup released one another as Dagur stepped forward and accepted the hand that was offered. "What's your name?" His eyes grew wide as the man's grip suddenly intensified as his body stiffened. Dagur's hand rose to the man's biceps as his body was overcome with shaking. "Hey! Get a hold of yourself!"

The man's expression was twisted as pain permeated every cell in his being with pinpoint precision. "Name?" Every muscle grew taunt as the pain forced him to a kneeling position, his head pounding as if it was being used as a bell that people would ring to bring in the fieldworkers. His head lolled about as Hiccup and Mala moved to assist but Dagur shook his head, saying that he could handle it. He repeated his question and it was as if the man was being electrocuted with how his body convulsed. "K…Kriel…" It was as if the single word released all the tension that had filled his body and he slowly relaxed within Dagur's hold. "My name is Kriel…I think…"

Mala and Hiccup glanced at one another, each wearing an expression of confusion. Were his injuries more extensive than they realized? They had found him under a pile of rubble so it was possible that he had sustained a head injury. They recalled his confusion when they had found him. Hiccup's mind began to race as he heard the man's name. None of the Hunters they had encountered had that name nor mentioned another with it. He didn't dismiss the fact that they had found him in the ruins of a camp, but it was clear from the way he was dressed and his eyes that the Hunters were not his allies.

"So, you really don't know who you are." Dagur shrugged, loosening his hold but made sure to keep close in case anything else occurred. "That's okay, I love this game! Your name is strange though. It means 'runt'." He laughed as Mala and Hiccup collectively smacked him upside the head, rousing a hesitant chuckle from the man before them.

* * *

And there you have it. See you next time!


	9. Hurting Hearts

Greetings, all! Hope you have all been well! Big thanks to everyone who had been following/favoring/reviewing this, I love hearing from the readers! This is a request from BlueNovaNF, my one and only! It took a lot of hard thinking and planning, but I think I have all my ducks I a row. We'll see how this goes! I don't own HTTYD but I do own my OCs. Thank you for taking the time to read! Let's get started!

* * *

 **Hurting Hearts**

It took a while, but they managed to help Kriel up the steep incline of the tunnel so they could reach the surface where they had found a broken-down dock with a repaired boat that Hiccup and Dagur had worked on. They retied the cloths around their faces, Hiccup insisting that Kriel wore his own while he made himself another as the boat was loaded with the little supplies they had found. The boat had been striped clean, leaving only empty barrels and scraps of clothing. There was plenty of room for everyone, but they had agreed to let the dragons give them a head start.

Mala couldn't help the disappointment that filled her as she hugged herself. Dagur had opted to sit in the boat with Kriel while Toothless and Sleuther pulled it along by the ropes tied around their torsos. She glanced over her shoulder as the shoreline faded into the gray smog. Hiccup, noticing her glance, asked if something was wrong. "We will need to stop along the way for food, the rations won't last more than a day and a half at most."

He nodded. They had found a spare food storage, but all that was left were a few chunks of a strange substance similar to goat cheese and a couple pounds of jerky strips. Hiccup had to admit it as well, having an extra person came with added help as well as hindrances. "I doubt that Eret is still around, but I'll reply to the Terror Mail he sent." The Terrible Terror had found them just before they had ventured downward in search of Mala, delivering Eret's warning of the possible traps that may have been in the camp.

"Wasn't there an island somewhere before he had hit the smog wall?" she asked, eyes combing the area in front of them.

"You're right. We can stop there and see if there is any wildlife or freshwater." He too was right. Much of their water had been used in keeping them hydrated and cleaning many of Kriel's wounds. They only had two skins to split between three humans and two dragons. Their odds as of right now were not good, and time was not helping. Their trip had already taken up half the time the elder had given them and they were no closer to finding her missing twin, a fact that Mala simply couldn't ignore.

Sure enough, a little farther than they had thought, the island that they had seen on their way inland but deemed too far for them to make a detour appeared ahead of them. It was fairly large with had a mountain peak that was snow capped and a large forest that ended just before the shoreline of glittering sand. "It looks uninhabited, but I'll go on ahead and take a look." she called, removing the cloth from her face as they approached. She cut the rope that was tied to the saddle, releasing herself and Triple Stryke, and scouted the island as Hiccup dealt with the boat and its passengers. The air wasn't as stifling as it had been when they were closer to the mainland, it was rather pleasant with the occasional cool breeze playing with her hair. The trees were healthy, leaves a bright green and a few were full of fruit that caused their branches to droop slightly. Sluether rumbled softly as they approached a clearing, its nostrils flaring as something glittered. They landed within the treeline and slowly entered the clearing, their senses on high alert.

The forest floor shortened considerably the closer they came to the small reservoir of water that was before them that was surrounded by smooth surfaced stones that peeked from the grassy terrain. Their movements stalled briefly as something moved within the water, causing its surface to shift and something under its surface to glitter. The Triple Stryke's tails lashed out, piercing the water, and retracted with a fair size herring-like fish on each but one was nearly twice the size of the others. She reached out to remove the wriggling fishes and expertly grasped them by one of their gills. They were exotic, to say the least; the scales were jagged like teeth, their backs a brilliant deep blue shading to golden yellow on the sides and silvery on the belly with a line of dusky round blotches that ran along each side at the level of the eyes. "What do you think?" she looked to the dragon as it sniffed the strange fish. Using her dagger, she easily removed the scales and emptied them of their inner organs. The dragon blew gently on the fish with a low flame while keeping care to avoid her hands and earned a smile. "Shall we?" They each took a fish and swiftly consumed it. It was quite flavorful despite them not using anything besides heat! Triple Stryke all but dove into the water with a roar as she whistled shrilly. Within seconds, Toothless came bounding through the forest with Dagur trailing behind, the Night Fury quickly joining the scorpion-like dragon in the water.

It wasn't until minutes later that Hiccup appeared with Kriel, who was now using a branch as a sort of walking/seeing/support stick. Something within her twisted as the blinded man began tapping his way around the clearing, probably getting himself acquainted with their new surroundings. It was as if he could feel her unwavering stare. His movements stalled and his head tilted in her direction as she turned her attention to Hiccup to relay information about the fish and water. The Berkian Chief's brow furrowed as Mala turned her back on their newest companion. His eyes widened slightly as understanding and concern "You can't keep avoiding or blaming him for not being your brother."

"You have a brother?" Kriel made his way over to them, apologizing for his unintended eavesdropping.

Mala slowly turned her body so that her body language was more welcoming towards the man. "Yes, my twin."

"Scuse me." She and Hiccup raised an eyebrow as Kriel's hand met the top of her head then moved it to himself, then the branch he was using. He rested the branch against his chest as his hands rested on her shoulders and slowly moved down her arms. Hiccup, curious and somewhat fascinated by Kriel's movements, watched in silence as her body frame was traced. He could barely contain the chuckle that threatened to slip out as Kriel's hands reached her face and began to explore her features. "What color are your eyes?" His lips lifted into a smile as an image began to form. "Green, got it. You've got quite the jawline, very strong." Kriel's brows furrowed as his hands reached her hair. "Are you sure you're a girl?"

Dagur instantly appeared next to them, dripping wet and half naked. "I can vouch!"

Kriel chuckled, offering an apologetic smile as she slipped out from under his hands. "That gives me a good idea of what you and he might look like. Would you two mind if I did the same for you?" They each expressed interest and Hiccup removed the remaining armor that he had on.

"You ask them for permission but not me?" Mala frowned, her anger clear as day in her eyes and tone. She had suspected the reason why he had been touching her and had allowed it to an extent, more than ready to deliver punishment if he had dared to wander near her intimate areas. "You were respectable of my body, yes, but not once did you request permission."

"You didn't stop me." Hiccup and Dagur shared a look, eyes wide and shock written all over their faces. Kriel repeated the same motions he had previously carried out with Mala upon the other two as silence reigned. He mentally noted how Dagur's skin rose and fell, possibly scars and old wounds, and the firmness of the muscles suggested that the Berserker was fit indeed. Hiccup, on the other hand, was smaller in stature and muscle mass. It was just as images were beginning to take form when he heard the slightest of movements from where he had last known Mala to be and slid backward in time to dodge something that whizzed past his face. "You were the one who stopped them from killing me and treated my wounds. Are you regretting your decision?"

"Coming from a man with no manners and no past, that's laughable." Mala shifted her hold on the katana's hilt and began to bring it upward if it wasn't for the firm stab of Kriel's stick to the inside of her elbow caused her to nearly drop the weapon. Bewilderment filled her as he dodged her left fist that rose to connect with his chin. "What sorcery is this?!" she all but screamed at him. "You are but a broken, blind sorry excuse of a man!"

"And yet you found that baby dragon clinging to me, right? From what I've been told, you are a queen of a small island. Shouldn't you be able to overpower the likes of me with no problem?" Kriel growled, using the stick to knock her feet from under her and pressed a foot against her shoulder when she attempted to stand. "You know nothing about me! For all you know, I could come from a line of assassins with instincts greater than a wolf's!"

"That wouldn't come close to explaining how you came to have the earring you have!" She angled the tip of her blade and used her knee to force it upwards, breaking the stick he had been using to momentarily throw off his balance and headbutted him with all the force she could muster. They fell to the ground together but she quickly overpowered him by sitting atop of his chest with one knee atop his stomach and the other pinning his dominant arm to the ground. "Why did it have to be you that we found?!" she cried, all of her anger and frustration flowing from her being and making it tremble. "You are of no use to us!"

"I am not powerless, nor am I useless! I fully intend to pay you back for saving my life!" Kriel shouted, flipping them so he was the one on top. His nose twitched as something tickled it…salt? He released her as if she was on fire as her form trembled beneath him. "I won't burden you in your search, you have my word. I don't know where I came from, who my family is, I don't remember anything besides my name!"

Dagur grabbed onto Kriel as he attempted to tear the earring off, forcing him into a nelson hold while Hiccup stood between the two. "Calm down!"

"What does this earring mean?! Was it a gift from someone special to me?! Did I steal it?! I know nothing about it nor myself! You think I wanted any of this?!" Kriel shouted, tears of blood trickling from underneath his bandage. His voice rose with every word and seemed to ring across the clearing like a bell. "You think I wanted to forget everything about myself, to lose my eyes?! I could have a mother and father, a family of my own and I WOULDN'T KNOW IT!" Hiccup jumped back as Toothless and Triple Stryke shot in their direction, causing Dagur to lose his hold. The three couldn't believe their eyes as the two dragons circled the man, each rumbling softly and sniffing him from head to toe. When their respective riders called out to them, they were surprised to find that their pupils were mere slits and had dropped into a battle-ready stance the second they had called out. Toothless and Sleuther returned their attention to Kriel as he released a cry and fell to his knees.

"Now do you understand?" Hiccup glanced towards Mala as she sat up. "He may not be your brother, but he is still a human being that wants to live. We may not have found your brother in that abandoned camp, but we found an ally that wishes to repay us for saving his life."

The dragons' motions slowly ceased as Kriel's cries came to a stop, Toothless in particular essentially settled himself around the man and rested his head in the human's lap while Triple Stryke approached his rider. "That is a powerful ally to have, one who has a reason to live." Dagur nodded before kneeling next to his queen, smiling as his dragon nuzzled Mala's shoulder. His eyes, like her beloved's, were soft and held hope. Mala's floodgates opened wide as Dagur pulled her against his chest, his arms wrapping around her like a protective shield. "Let's bring him along, okay?" he whispered in her ear. She nodded.

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Well? What do you think? Let me know in the comments!


	10. Taken Under Wing

Greetings, all! Hope you have all been well! Big thanks to everyone who had been following/favoring/reviewing this, I love hearing from the readers! This is a request from BlueNovaNF, my one and only! For those who were unaware, we do live in the Midwest and were strongly impacted by the flooding. We, our families included, are safe and returning to our "normal" lives, but it will be a while before we can recover from the losses. Big thanks to everyone who was messaging and sending thoughts/prayers, we greatly appreciate your concern! I don't own HTTYD but I do own my OCs. Thank you for taking the time to read! Let's get started!

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 **Flight by Night:**

 **Taken Under Wing**

Dinner consisted of the fish along with the many fruits that they had discovered, but the traveling group was silent despite the delicious food. The dragons lounged lazily behind their riders as they silently ate. Hiccup couldn't help but glance between his two friends and their newest addition. Ever since they had landed on the island there has been a pressure between the queen of the wing and the newly revived. "We can head off in the morning, does that sound good to everyone?" he asked. Kriel, who was sitting on his right, requested to have his blanket laid out near the water. It wasn't the oddest thing he had heard so he complied then turned his attention to the other two as they agreed with heading out the next morning. "Great."

Kriel stood as Hiccup did and followed the Berkian chief away from the fire, thanking him for his assistance before sitting cross-legged on the blanket. He may have been a few meters from the rest of the group but his heightened hearing made it child's play to hear their conversation. There was talk of the newly restocked food supply, the interesting fish, and the plan for the journey back to one of their islands. It was going to be a couple days trip and there was concern for his condition. Without his sight, he had no idea how bad his wounds were.

For many minutes, long after their words had silenced and the heat from the campfire faded, he merely listened to the sound of the water next to him and the breeze that tickled his face was the only sensation he embraced as he searched what he knew. The only memory he had was waking to find someone pulling something from him. He later had found out it had been a hatchling, but why would he had been clinging to it as if it could save him from whatever had put him there? A throbbing sensation overtook him as the fog in his mind grew tenfold the more he attempted to search them.

A hand rose and rested against the wound that he had woken to Mala treating after passing out from the shock of his injuries. It flared up every once in a while, but it was tolerable. His mind raced as he removed his top and began at his fingertips. Each digit had a rough surface and there were caullouses covering them. As they rose, he found that his right arm was slightly more fit than his left, but they both ad uneven surfaces that rose and fell. He inhaled sharply when they reached his face. Everything from the area near his nostrils all the way to the arch of his eyebrows screamed with pain at the slightest touch.

Concern filled him when he noted the difference in temperature of the skin around the bandage. As carefully as he could, he unraveled the bandage around his head and hissed softly as the cloth snagged. It must have bonded with the lids of his eyes thanks to the fluids that had been leaking down his face earlier. There was only one thing to do. With his discarded top clenched between his teeth, his hand gripped the bandage and ripped it off with a quick yank. The cry of agony that shot up his throat was lost in the cloth as his body curled into a ball, pain permeating places that nearly caused him to blackout. For several seconds he could only focus on his breathing, in and out, in and out, nearly jumping out of his skin when something made contact with the hand that was clawing at the rocks he had been resting against.

Soft rumbling filled his ear as the sensation came again. Taking a deep breath, his nose was filled with the smell of leather and dragon. His hand rose and met a familiar rounded snout. He removed the cloth from his mouth as the dragon nuzzled his middle. "I'm alright," he whispered, his voice cracking slightly as something wet began trickling down his face. It seemed that he might have caused the forming scabs to come off. His hands waved wildly as the ground underneath him vanished and his found himself sitting atop something that moved and shifted. Toothless' tail pressed against his mouth as his rider shifted in his sleep, effectively cutting off his surprised exclamation. Kriel could only cling to the dragon as the Night Fury began running. "Where are you taking me?" Toothless rumbled, briefly nuzzling one of his legs so that he could straddle correctly. His question was answered within minutes when the dragon beneath him came to a screeching halt that sent him flying into something that sunk under his weight slightly.

No matter how much his hands struggled to grasp something solid, the surface beneath them clung to him and caused discomfort whenever he rubbed them together. Taking a deep breath, he strained his ears and calmed his frantic heart. Something salty tickled his nose as the sound of cascading water filled his ears. "The ocean?" The hairs on his body stood straight up as something cold cascaded over his hand, hissing as piercing pain shot up his arm. His hands rose and fumbled until they met with Toothless' flank. "You're a smart one, aren't you?" He couldn't help but smile as the dragon tugged on the remaining clothing. With quick movements and help, he was stripped and was prepared to wade into the water when he stopped. His hands traced the harness, saddle, and tail contraption then surprised the dragon by removing them. Hiccup had told him the story of his and Toothless' friendship as well as the dragon losing half of his tail. He could tell from the way the Berkian chief fondly spoke that they had a strong bond. "I would hate to have the salt water ruin such fine works." Toothless rumbled as Kriel placed them on father up on the beach. A chuckle slipped from between his lips as the dragon lead him into the water, his tail draped loosely around his waist like an safety harness.

He couldn't help the tremors that wracked his body as the lukewarm saltwater assaulted his skin. His breathing soon leveled though as the pain dulled to a minimal throbbing sensation. After a few minutes of standing in the shallows, he nodded and the dragon pulled him farther into the ocean. His breath hitched when it lapped against his torso and tensed his jaw as a realization hit him hard. "Don't let me drown, okay?" he called, receiving a small squeeze from the tail wrapped around his waist. With his lungs full of air, he stretched his left leg out as far as he could and plunged into the ocean.

Toothless dug into the sand as the man's weight nearly pulled him father into the water. The Night Fury cast a glance in the direction that Kriel had disappeared in as his tail thrashed around. His eyes immediately shot to the forest as movement was heard. He called softly as Sleuther appeared and blinked as Mala stepped out from the dragon's shadow.

She had been awake when Toothless had approached Kriel and had waited to follow until they were out of the clearing. Triple Stryke had woken the second she had slipped from her cot and had assisted her in following the duo. Her eyes quickly found the discarded saddle and tail thanks to the rising sun, bathing the beachline in its golden light. "Toothless?" Shock filled her as she noticed the clothing that laid scattered out in the sand.

All eyes shot to the ocean as the spot where Toothless' tail disappeared bubbled. Almost like a canon, the water rose as a figure nearly shot from it. Kriel's mouth opened and released an earsplitting cry that sent shivers down the spines of those within earshot. She rushed forward as he fell limp, her arms wrapping around his figure as Toothless gently brought him up onto the beach. He was unconscious and it seemed as if his wounds had reopened. Her breath caught as she noticed that the bandage around his head was missing.

"You fool, what are you trying to accomplish?" she scolded, quickly examining his empty sockets and blinking in surprise when she found that the once ravaged flesh was no longer an angry red but now a soothed pale color. The rest of his wounds were the same. "I understand now. The salt from the ocean has penetrated your wounds and cleaned them far better than I could."

Kriel groaned, a sheepish smile lifting his lips. "But you were more gentle."

"That can be changed." she huffed, removing herself from him. Her sudden movement caused him to tumble to the sand in a heap at her feet. Toothless gathered the discarded clothing and deposited them atop the man before turning his attention to Mala as she made her way to his saddle. "When will you learn to keep your person covered like a proper human being?"

"Why are you so concerned? Am I that unattractive?" he asked, settling into his pants and turning in her general direction. The sun was just peeking over the horizon behind him when she turned back to face him, causing her to squint slightly. A blush crept into her cheeks as she asked how he knew whether or not he was eye pleasing when he had none and his simple response was that he had traced himself. "I waited until the campfire had died down so that the light wouldn't show my movements."

A red flag waived in her mind. He had waited for a chance when they had all most certainly would be asleep by using the campfire as a way of measuring time? Not only that, he had been aware that with the campfire light, he would be exposed? Her mouth opened, questions and retort alike ready, but it slid closed as her vision cleared. Dagur and Hiccup were emerging from the forest as a breeze swept through as the clouds parted enough so that the sunlight seemed to focus on the beach.

Kriel's head tilted towards where he heard movement near the treeline, the warm breeze causing his hair to dry fairly quickly and become a cascading waterfall of hazelnut. The copper highlights glittered in the growing sunlight as if it were attempting to turn itself into gold as it mingled and played with the vanilla streaks that contrasted nicely with his scarred skin. The areas that were clean of scars were few, but it allowed his medium-fair skin to show. The multitude of scars ranged in various colors and defined edges; light pink and smooth, to dark cerise and jagged. Whatever water remained in his hair trickled down to his shoulders and across his toned chest until they disappeared into the planes of his defined abdomen, drawing their attention to his extremely lean physique. Dagur was built, his muscles large and demanding attention, but Kriel's were compacted and looked ready for anything. "Seems like everyone is awake." His hand rose and brushed the hair that had fallen in his face, revealing the pair of scars that ran from his eyebrows to the tops of his cheeks. As he moved to wring out his hair, the muscles in his narrow shoulders shifted smoothly under his skin like a well-oiled machine. The same was to say for his thighs and calves as he made hesitant steps in the direction that he had heard movement from.

Dagur's eyes combed over their companion's appearance. He had known about Kriel's interesting build from the time they had spent in the boat, but the man's hair had been a matted mess with mud and blood that caused it to gather in bunches like a bush. Now that all that gunk was washed out, he couldn't believe the sight before him. The coloration was unusual and the length was even more so. It nearly reached the man's knees for Thor's sake! With quick movements, he made his way across the sand and came to a stop before Kriel, who greeted him with a tilt of his head.

The blind man couldn't feel any hostility coming from Dagur, so why was the Berserker acting so strange? "Everything alright?"

"Your hair. It's different than any I've seen before. You have to be from somewhere outside the Archipelago with that head of hair. Most of those who do live here have coarse hair that smells of fish oil or yak. My Mala-poo is the exception though, hers smells like fresh cut grass." Mala couldn't help the faint blush that entered her cheeks at her beloved's claim, but she and Hiccup agreed with the Berserker. It was true, most of the people who lived this far North has hair with a reddish-hue of some sort with the exception of the sandy blonde that occasionally occurs, both similar in texture to a yak's and was most commonly gathered into braids.

"You already know that I have no memory of myself." Kriel simply replied. "Is my appearance that much different than your own?" Dagur reached out and grasped a few strands of Kriel's hair as he described its color. One of the blind man's eyebrows rose as his hair was gathered.

Dagur's eyes practically sparkled as the hair in his hands slipped over his skin like a feather. "Wow! It's so soft!" Hiccup and Mala glanced at one another as Dagur's fingers began to play with their companion's hair. They were more than aware of Dagur's curiosity when it came to new things, but their concern for them both rose as the Berserker brought the hair to his face to nuzzle it. "It's like nothing I've ever felt before!" Toothless and Sleuther were drawn in by the strange display, moving behind Kriel and beginning their own examination of the hair. Their movements and constant nuzzling caused the blind man to nearly lose his balance and would have if it weren't for Dagur grabbing onto his shoulders. "You have to let me braid it!"

"What?!" The beach resounded with the combined exclamation of the two Vikings and Kriel.

"Come on, say you'll let me!" Dagur's eyes practically sparkled as Kriel relented, saying that he could make two braids if he agreed to cut off the rest. "Awwww, but it's so pretty! It would be a real shame to get rid of it all!"

"That's why I'm letting you make a braid on each side." Kriel explained, his hands rising and gathering two handfuls of his hair; one came from the back right of his head while the other came from behind his ear on the left side. "Make these two into braids, but I want the rest removed. In case you haven't noticed, someone like me having hair this long gets hazardous."

Hiccup nodded in understanding and offered one of his craftsmanship blades, which Dagur retrieved and helped Kriel to one of the rocks so he wouldn't have to sit in the sand while he worked. The Berkian's eyes wandered from the duo to Mala, who wore a strange expression on her face. Her attention shifted from her thoughts as she felt eyes on her and caught sight of Hiccup's own fixating on her. "What?"

"Oh, nothing." Hiccup scratched the back of his head as he turned to head back to their campsite to retrieve their belongings. "Just wondering what you would look like with long hair."

Her jaw clenched at his words. "Don't be absurd." A look of confusion came over her features as something incredibly soft brushed her cheek. Blinking, her hands rose to her face as the sensation came again and found strands of long dark hued hair entangled with her fingers. "Wha-"

"You look good with long hair," Dagur offered a smile as he moved the locks he was holding so that they appeared to integrate with her natural hair. "but I like it the length it is."

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Thanks again for all your patience! See you next time!


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